The many sales challenges faced by men and women in sales roles are largely the same.

Difficulty getting through to buyers.

Not enough qualified leads in the pipeline.

Too much administrative work and not enough selling time.

Trying to keep competitors at bay.

Keeping sales skills sharp.

The rapid pace of change.

And more.

Selling in today’s 21st century environment is more challenging than ever. That means that our ability to transcend obstacles to success is as much about managing our beliefs, mindset and attitude, as it is about being highly skilled at the various aspects of the selling process.

I’ve written about the business case for women in sales many times.

Research supports that a strategic focus on diversity and inclusion positively impacts revenue, the customer experience and fosters cultures that are forward thinking and innovative.

Volumes have been written about bro cultures, women being held back, gaps in pay. All truths that have merit. There is no question that there is work to be done. Progress has been slow to fix many of the pervasive problems that persist.

At the same time, I want women in sales (or in any role), to remember that there are times when we may undermine our success without even realizing it through some of these common behaviors.

Being Seen Not Heard.

I’m not the only woman who has felt seen but not heard in meetings. Many women don’t realize that they are more likely than men to “wait” to be called on to speak.

Women also have a tendency to downplay their certainty about their ideas, business opinions, or even the products they sell. They hedge their assertions making them seem less confident than they are. If you want to be heard, rather than fume at being overlooked or feel your ideas were dismissed, make it your business to assert yourself by speaking up clearly, confidently and concisely.

If you are in a sales role, this behavior is especially problematic. There is a gap in gender diversity in departments other than sales in many companies, which means that the buyers we are approaching are mostly men. If you appear to lack confidence in what you sell, these male buyers won’t feel confident in buying from you.

Leveraging Relationships vs. Building Them

Often, we hear that women possess the innate strength of building relationships. While I believe that to be true, I’ve also noticed that many women shy away from leveraging the power of the relationships they’ve built.

I’m as guilty of this behavior as anyone. As much as I talk with guests on the Conversations with Women in Sales podcast about how important it is for women to stop sitting on the sidelines waiting for others to notice their good work, reward them, promote them or help them when they need a favor, I find myself doing the same thing without realizing it.

For many of us this is a bias hidden away in our DNA that cautions us against asking for specific help from the people in the networks we’ve established. Adding to our concern is the judgment many of us have felt by other women who signal to us that our ask is selfish or overly ambitious. For the record, women who judge other women, and it happens far more often than you might think, are often unaware that they do it.

I have to give a hat tip to men here. They don’t usually fall into this trap. If they need help, they don’t hesitate to ask for it.

The TMI (Too Much Information) Trap

This sabotaging behavior isn’t new news. How you use your words matter and never is that truer than in selling.

It is important to note that the urban myth that women speak 20,000 words in a day while men speak 7,000 was debunked in a 2007 study.

It isn’t the number of words men and women use in a day; they are basically the same number. The core difference is in how words are used. Women are often tuned out because they take too much time to get to the point. And, yes, I’ve been guilty of this behavior too. Women often preface their suggestions with a lot of backstory and unnecessary background. Side observations obscure the main point, while over explaining the rationale behind the point they want to make creates a perception that they lack confidence in their abilities.

Tip: Get to the point and let people ask for more details as they need it!

Minimizing

Stop downplaying your achievements!

There is that old joke about there not being an “I’ in team, which always made me laugh. Look closely at the word, and you’ll see the word “me”. Not we, me.

Our male counterparts use “I” more often when speaking. Women, on the other hand, use “we” more often. On the surface “we” sounds inclusive. When we believe that our accomplishments came together as a result of a team effort, we are reluctant to call specific attention to our part in the process.

Research confirms that using “we”, especially if you are responsible for leading a team, creates confusion about your role in a specific effort. The higher ups wonder… Did you lead it? Were you essential to the outcome? What exactly do you mean when you say “we”?

Women are discouraged from “self-promotion” beginning at an early age. Promoting our own efforts is equated to bragging. Bragging equals bad. How we present our accomplishments may be the difference, but marketing how we contributed to the success of the business or any team project is part of the job.

People Pleasing and the Perfection Trap

Many women, including me, suffer from the disease
to please. Voltaire wrote that “Perfect is the enemy of good.” A manager I
worked for gave me that feedback once, and at the time, it really annoyed me. When
I thought about it later, I understood what Voltaire meant. He meant that
perfection is an illusion. Not everyone will like us or agree with us but
trying to navigate our careers through the lens of trying to be something we
aren’t doesn’t make much sense. It certainly leads to more heartache than needed.

In closing

External factors that can block our path certainly exist. I began my sales career in the macho, male dominated world of tech, and enjoyed great success all through the years. And like so many women, I’ve dealt with my share of biases that presented obstacles I felt were unwarranted or unfair. At the same time, I recognize that there have been times when I let my own insecurities and behaviors work against me. I know I’m not alone.

I’ve always been inspired by Viktor Frankl and his story. In the most horrific of circumstances, he came to the realization that no matter what the circumstance, WE HAVE A CHOICE! If where you are today is not where you want to be, what choice will YOU make to turn things around?

I read a LinkedIn post recently that focused on the many complaints about cold calling and sales spam being talked about online. What struck me most was the author’s complaint that people publicly post the “negative” examples of sales spam they receive. She only wants us to share “positive” sales messages that work. And, yes, I’m rolling my eyes as I type those words.

In my observation, I believe we have more than a few sellers in sales today whose skin is a tad too thin. They don’t want to hear criticism even if it would benefit them to listen and learn.

I would love to share more examples of positive sales messaging, but I cannot remember the last time I received one. I’ve asked my networks to share examples they’ve received. Crickets. And why don’t we see more positive examples of great sales messaging? They largely don’t exist!

Go ahead. Ask 10 decision makers yourself when they can remember the last time they received a sales message that made them say… sure, I’ll free up time on my calendar to talk to that person.

I AM one of those people who posts about sales spam and implores sellers and their managers to do better.

Listen, I don’t shame people but I feel absolutely justified in sharing examples of sales messages that, as a collective whole, make our profession look bad. They certainly don’t achieve positive sales results.

CSO Insights reported that of the two main challenges sales leaders confirm gives them heartburn, the most pressing is the lack of qualified leads in the pipeline. Properly qualifying leads is the subject for another day. The point of this post is to reinforce that you cannot expect to increase your percentage of leads if prospects won’t talk to you.

This is why sales message and approach is all the more critical!

You have no hope of engaging buyers in sales conversations if they simply ignore you. Sales spam is an epidemic and as much the responsibility of individual sales contributors, as it is sales managers.

First, sales managers are typically more focused on QUANTITY of activity than the QUALITY of the activity. You need both.

Second, reps are mostly focused on hitting the activity NUMBER assigned them. They sacrifice QUALITY too.

Here is a real-world example to illustrate why buyers are freezing you out.

Four different sales reps at two different companies contacted me via phone calls and email last week. I had 2 voicemails each from 2 reps at one company, plus their 2 emails each. The other company had 2 reps contact me and each of those reps sent 2 emails each.

Are you keeping up with the math here?

4 voicemails and 4 emails from Company A.

4 emails from Company B.

That’s 4 voicemails and 8 emails over a 3-day time period. From only two companies!

Twelve missed opportunities to demonstrate credibility and value to me – the prospect. Perhaps the worst part of this example is that these reps wasted their effort on someone who will never buy what they sell, which a few minutes of research would have told them.

Not a single one of those messages were compelling enough for me to care, although one email was bad enough that I sent feedback to the rep who was snarky in their reply that they were doing just fine with their approach. When their commission check bottoms out, and it will, maybe they will change their tune and listen.

With all this activity taking place, sales leaders seem confused as to why their sales reps aren’t getting anywhere. They don’t seem to understand that it is the sales message NOT the activity itself that is the problem.

Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.

The math gets even worse when hundreds of other salespeople target the same prospects with similar sales spam about their products. And I’m only talking about the overload of initial sales outreach. Many sellers have a cadence of sales activity cued up with the same pointless messaging like – “did you get my last message?” – going out as many as 4, 5, 6, 7 times after the initial attempt at contacting someone. Is it any wonder that decision makers avoid salespeople until they absolutely cannot avoid it any longer?

And what is this business of having multiple reps from your company contact the same prospects with the same spam message within hours of each other? I simply do not understand the thinking behind this approach. Multiple salespeople hounding the same prospect more often will not win them over. Ever.

Isn’t it time for the insanity to stop?

Many of us DO provide examples of how to craft better sales messages. We are also the same people providing examples of how to improve other aspects of the overall selling process – in blog posts, on webinars, in interviews, in workshops, in books, on speaking stages, in consulting and training gigs.

Unfortunately, so much of the wisdom about how to improve sales results simply falls on deaf ears.

Either because it is easier to stay stuck in what’s not working than change OR

Reps feel they just have to do what their manager tells them to do even though they know better OR

Sales managers are unwilling to accept that times have changed and what used to work now doesn’t OR

People don’t want to do the work it will take to learn new habits that get better results, which gets back to point #1… it is easier to stay stuck and complain.

If you are in a sales role today, working to be the best version of yourself in that role requires constantly improving your skills and adapting to an ever changing business climate.

I started this post by talking about a salesperson, who isn’t the only one, that doesn’t feel negative criticism about people’s sales performance is fair. And, while I agree that how criticism is delivered makes a difference, I say that maybe it is time to toughen up, accept the reality that what you are doing isn’t working and let the tough love sink in.

To the individual sales contributors, I’m empathetic to the fact that there are things beyond your control when you work for someone else. I get that… and…

Ultimately, YOU are responsible for your sales success. If your activity isn’t generating enough sales meetings on your calendar, your message and approach is likely the culprit. Even if someone else is writing the message to send, but you know it isn’t working, it is up to you to be bold and change how you present yourself regardless how many prospecting touches you are expected to make.

If you do less calls but book more sales conversations with qualified buyers, you are in a good position to show your manager that quality plus quantity wins every time.

People are complaining about sales spam for a reason. It is a problem!

No salesperson is owed a pat on the back and a trophy just for showing up at work every day. Learn to accept the tough love and be open to learning from it. Your sales success depends on it!

Today’s topic is focused on how to make a difference in your sales career. This is a great topic because proactively taking charge and managing your career path should be your top priority. Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for your good work to be noticed!! There is some great career advice offered up in this interview. Soak it in and put the ideas into practice!!My guest is Lori Richardson who heads up Women Sales Pros and Score More Sales. Lori is one of the original voices for more women in sales and sales leadership in B2B industries where there are male-majority sales teams. She speaks, writes and consults with companies on ways to find, hire, develop and retain women within sales and she also speaks directly to women about ways to rise within their organization. Find her @WomenSalesPros online, on Twitter, Instagram, FB, and LinkedIn.Okay, buckle up. These are the questions Lori and I tackled.
Lori, you like me, have been in sales for a long time. What’s so great about a sales career?
How do you find what you call, “Salesvana”?
How do you decide what direction to go in your sales career?
How do you present an idea to management for a new role, division, or sales segment?
What if you feel that your manager does not respect you or your ideas?
What if your company leadership or immediate manager does not talk about a formal career path?
If you want to write job posts that really compel people to take a look at your organization, Lori mentioned this great resource! https://textio.com/
Another insight packed interview, which I encourage you to listen to and enjoy!Apple Podcasts – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.Spotify Stitcher Google Play Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen HEREThanks to our Sponsors!This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

In this interview, I talked with Mandy Bynum McLaughlin, Director of Sales Development – Enterprise and Commercial at New Relic. Mandy also serves as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at her company.

For those women just starting out in sales or for those women who’ve not considered a career in selling, I started off by asking Mandy how she got started in a career in sales.

Other questions we tackled:

Being a woman of color in sales – have there been specific challenges that you’ve faced? What about the opportunities?

You are a sales manager, Mandy. How would you describe your management style? What is unique about it?

You’ve worked with many different types of Salespeople (Account Executives) – what are the characteristics/habits of a great Account Exec, and what are key indicators that someone isn’t ready to be successful in their sales role?

Often the next step for a salesperson is management – or at least they think that is the next step. What does it take to make the transition from individual contributor to sales manager?

I’m a big fan of learn to earn. I believe that learning never stops. Learning/research is also a critical element to selling in that we should never go into a sales meeting or get on a sales call without having learned about them, their company, their industry, competitors, etc.

I asked Mandy if she believes in the importance of research. Second, I asked Mandy what kind of research or outside resources she has used throughout her career.

Another insight packed interview, which I encourage you to listen to and enjoy!

Mandy Bynum McLaughlin. Mandy began her career as an Account Executive at Clear Channel Radio, using the phone book to prospect. Fast forward 10 years, 2 startups, and many different sales teams later, Mandy now runs New Relic’s Sales Development organization for North America.

Her greatest passion thus far in her career, is around empowering women and people of color and other marginalized groups in the workplace so that we in the Bay Area and throughout the greater corporate society can become more inclusive and end marginalization, and has been lucky enough to work for companies that share the same passion.

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

She is Vice President of Sales Enablement and Sales Development at AlphaSense where she is responsible for the development, acceleration, and optimization of talent across the sales and service organization. Alea has built and managed a variety of high performing teams throughout her career which spans sales, client service, corporate strategy, and investment banking roles.

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

My guest in this Conversations with Women in Sales interview is Melissa Lui, Sales Development Manager at ServiceTitan. Melissa started as an SDR and within in a short period of time, she had demonstrated her ability to make the next move into sales leadership. Moving from being an individual contributor to a successful sales manager isn’t always easy. Melissa has made the transition and her approach and insights will be a benefit to anyone interested in successfully transitioning into management at some point in their sales career.

We discussed:

Why Melissa decided to move from a sales development role to a leadership role.

Some of the biggest challenges she faced in making the transition.

Advice for anyone in a sales role looking to transition into leading sales teams.

Why personal and professional development is so important to Melissa.

How Melissa supports her team with personal and professional development.

Melissa Lui is currently a sales development manager at ServiceTitan. She first started her career in sales as an SDR and climbed the ranks into sales leadership. Her passion lies in coaching SDRs to achieve the results that leads them to become successful sales reps and providing guidance to first-time managers. Her goal is to bridge the growing sales community in Los Angeles and turn it into a robust arena for sales professionals to share best practices, insights and hold each other accountable for professional development.

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

On that day, I saw another list announcing top sales gurus and 98% of said gurus were men. Don’t get me wrong. I applaud my male colleagues in sales who do great work. I learn as much from them, as I hope they learn from me.

Still, it is 2018 and women in sales are largely underrepresented in many ways.

We do not see enough women in sales roles represented as speakers on conference stages, being interviewed in video or podcast programs, not enough women show up on leader lists or on lists of people to follow and more.

And, surprisingly women are still in the minority in sales roles. I asked Lori Richardson, who heads up Women Sales Pros her thoughts on this and why she is a passionate supporter of women in sales. Here’s what she told me.

“Today, in 2018, there is still a lack of women in sales and sales leadership roles in industries such as SaaS, tech, fintech, manufacturing, distribution, telecom, and utilities. We know that women make great sales reps and we know that women make great leaders. Studies show that diversity of thought grows revenues – and that comes from a more diverse sales team. Yet the number of women leaders has been a low number – flat for more than 10 years. I’m passionate about this topic because it is a business issue that we can move the needle on. Women currently in sales or who have been in the past are role models to those up and coming in those industries.”

I believe that women don’t often do a good job of tooting their own horn. I decided I wanted to help them do that.

My original LinkedIn list of #WomeninSales to follow has morphed and taken on a life of its own. That list shows recruiters, conference organizers, podcast hosts, magazine publications and more that there is a lot of female talent to be tapped into. It also shows women who may not have considered a career in sales that they’d be in great company if they joined our ranks!

The list was a starting point. I wanted to go bigger! Introducing the Conversations with Women in Sales Podcast!

Today, I’m announcing the launch of my new podcast dedicated to women in sales, at all levels, in companies all around the globe. The Conversations with Women in Sales podcast has launched on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play. These interviews also have their own page on my blog making it easy people for people to find and listen to the interviews.

The podcast has 3 goals:

Provide global visibility for women in sales roles.

Encourage more women to enter a career in sales.

Provide education, guidance and support for women as they move up in their careers.

Each guest will share their insights, expertise, and guidance on topics from brand building, leadership, career management, social selling, overcoming adversity, sales and marketing alignment, B2B sales, strategic partnerships, buyer personas, account based selling, content creation and promotion, social media, and more.

The first set of interviews are:

Episode Zero – in this episode, James Carbary of SweetFish Media, our podcast producer interviews me about the purpose of the #WomeninSales project.

Episode 1 – features Christina Stone, Account Director at TechTarget who reminds us that when we do right by our customers, they will do right by us!

Each week, I’ll be releasing a brand-new interview. And, I expect that in the next few months, we will be moving to bi-weekly interviews, with the goal being to release an interview every day Monday through Friday.

We’d like to thank our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. In particular, we thank Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief at Microsoft, for her dedication to supporting women in technology, and making this podcast possible. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Visit the Microsoft Partner Network.

Headed by Lori Richardson, Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers, and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

I’ve been a member of the Women Sales Pros network for many years, and because Lori and I share the same passion for getting more women into sales careers and helping them advance in our profession, I’m delighted that Women Sales Pros is a sponsor of our podcast!

Listen to the interviews and let me know what you think. And, of course, tell me who else needs to be included on my Conversations with Women in Sales interview list?

In this Women in Sales Leadership segment, I talked with Bridget about her leadership experience working in Israeli start-up Logz.io. During this episode, you’ll first hear how Bridget got her start in sales. Then we talked about her experience working for an Iraeli company.

How her experience working with an Israeli company is different from other start-ups she has worked with.

You’ll gain some perspective on Bridget handles the time difference and what that means for communication among the leadership team.

Bridget shared a few of her biggest surprises.

Finally, Bridget shares her advice would to women in sales roles who want to move into leadership positions.

Don’t miss out HubSpot’s annual sales event – Inbound Sales Day – on June 6th! 30 leading sales experts will be sharing their knowledge and expertise. Register now for FREE at hubspot.com/inbound-sales-day

About Bridget:

Bridget Gleason is VP of Sales at Logz.io and manages the company’s worldwide sales organization. She was most recently VP of Corporate Sales as well as Executive Advisor at Sumo Logic. Prior to Sumo Logic, she was VP of Worldwide Sales at Yesware and Senior VP of Worldwide Sales at Engine Yard.

I’m a life long believer in learning. Success in life and business requires that we continually hone our skills and up our game. In selling, the more informed you are about a variety of topics, the easier it is to relate to people at all levels. Knowledge is power. Buyers are looking for sellers who can educate them on what they don’t know, and I am not talking about the features and benefits of your products or your company history.

I’m too busy are three of the most annoying words ever. Annoying because they are an excuse. An excuse for not following through on something important and using “I’m too busy” as the reason why. No one is blessed with more time in the day, week, month or year than anyone else. In that way, we are absolutely 1000 percent equal. Everyone has 24 hours each day and 8,760 hours available in a normal year. Where you CHOOSE to spend your time is the difference.

I put a priority on learning. All successful people do. Sellers committed to excellence are typically in the top 10% of earners. Learning is something that you make a priority, like eating healthy foods or exercising on a daily basis. When it comes to engaging prospects and increasing your odds of closing sales, the sellers who are the most business savvy and understand what is important to their prospects and customers win! Robotic demo dollies will keep scraping by.

Ongoing learning is important. The more skilled you are at your craft, the more successful you will be. The more you know about your prospects business, their industry, their competitors, their challenges, the more important you become to them. Knowledge becomes a competitive advantage that leads to more opportunities. If you have the right skills, chances are that you’ll close more deals.

On a daily basis I read articles and blog posts from a variety of sources. I attend complimentary webinars or listen to podcast interviews. Book reading never ends for me. What I find interesting is the number of people who say to me, how do you have time? I’m just so busy, I never seem to be able to… read the book, watch the video, improve my sales skills, listen to the webinar, take the training course, learn to use social media, research my prospects in depth…the list goes on.

I don’t use sports analogies much, but I just watched Miracle for the umpteenth time. I don’t know if it is possible to be more inspired by a movie based on actual events. The 20 men who became the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that beat the Russian squad, considered invincible at the time, were already stellar players on the ice when the team came together. Herb Brooks, the legendary player turned coach who led the team to victory, knew that no matter how good these players currently were, it wasn’t enough. In order to win, every player had to significantly increase their skill, stamina and ability to play as a single minded unit. Herb specifically chose players he knew were up to the challenge, because without that commitment to improve and excel each day, it is debatable if the team would have won against the Russians and then gone on to win the gold medal.

Whether your company invests in sales and social selling programs or not, you need to be committed to your own growth and development. You should be learning something new every single day. Sales superstars are always willing to invest in themselves. Yes, you need to know your products and services, but you’ve got to get beyond your own dog food. Venture outside the corporate walls and broaden your horizons.

With the advances that have been made in technology, your mobile device is now your personal university. Your own ivy league repository of real-time education that is constantly with you. Even with busy schedules there are countless opportunities when you can be learning. For example…

When you are waiting for your sales meeting to get started.

Driving in your car to your next appointment.

Sitting in the car pool line.

Waiting for your name to be called at the doctor’s office.

Before the airplane doors are slammed shut.

Waiting for your colleagues to join you at lunch.

Standing in line at the DMV.

Predictions are that by 2020, 80% of sales people will no longer be needed. Yes, that includes sellers in B2B complex selling environments too. If you plan to be in the 20% with the other Sales Rockstars out there, I highly recommend you put learning on the front burner. When you commit to learn, you earn!

So what’s it going to be? Gold medal winner or distant could have been?

I’m a life long believer in learning. Success in life and business requires that we continually hone our skills and up our game. In selling, the more informed you are about a variety of topics, the easier it is to relate to people at all levels. Knowledge is power. Buyers are looking for sellers who can educate them on what they don’t know, and I am not talking about the features and benefits of your products or your company history.
I’m too busy are three of the most annoying words ever. Annoying because they are an excuse. An excuse for not following through on something important and using “I’m too busy” as the reason why. No one is blessed with more time in the day, week, month or year than anyone else. In that way, we are absolutely 1000 percent equal. Everyone has 24 hours each day and 8,760 hours available in a normal year. Where you CHOOSE to spend your time is the difference.
I put a priority on learning. All successful people do. Sellers committed to excellence are typically in the top 10% of earners. Learning is something that you make a priority, like eating healthy foods or exercising on a daily basis. When it comes to engaging prospects and increasing your odds of closing sales, the sellers who are the most business savvy and understand what is important to their prospects and customers win! Robotic demo dollies will keep scraping by.
Ongoing learning is important. The more skilled you are at your craft, the more successful you will be. The more you know about your prospects business, their industry, their competitors, their challenges, the more important you become to them. Knowledge becomes a competitive advantage that leads to more opportunities. If you have the right skills, chances are that you’ll close more deals.
On a daily basis I read articles and blog posts from a variety of sources. I attend complimentary webinars or listen to podcast interviews. Book reading never ends for me. What I find interesting is the number of people who say to me, how do you have time? I’m just so busy, I never seem to be able to… read the book, watch the video, improve my sales skills, listen to the webinar, take the training course, learn to use social media, research my prospects in depth…the list goes on.
I don’t use sports analogies much, but I just watched Miracle for the umpteenth time. I don’t know if it is possible to be more inspired by a movie based on actual events. The 20 men who became the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that beat the Russian squad, considered invincible at the time, were already stellar players on the ice when the team came together. Herb Brooks, the legendary player turned coach who led the team to victory, knew that no matter how good these players currently were, it wasn’t enough. In order to win, every player had to significantly increase their skill, stamina and ability to play as a single minded unit. Herb specifically chose players he knew were up to the challenge, because without that commitment to improve and excel each day, it is debatable if the team would have won against the Russians and then gone on to win the gold medal.
Whether your company invests in sales and social selling programs or not, you need to be committed to your own growth and development. You should be learning something new every single day. Sales superstars are always willing to invest in themselves. Yes, you need to know your products and services, but you’ve got to get beyond your own dog food. Venture outside the corporate walls and broaden your horizons.With the advances that have been made in technology, your mobile device is now your personal university. Your own ivy league repository of real-time education that is constantly with you. Even with busy schedules there are countless opportunities when you can be learning. For example…

When you are waiting for your sales meeting to get started.

Driving in your car to your next appointment.

Sitting in the car pool line.

Waiting for your name to be called at the doctor’s office.

Before the airplane doors are slammed shut.

Waiting for your colleagues to join you at lunch.

Standing in line at the DMV.

Predictions are that by 2020, 80% of sales people will no longer be needed. Yes, that includes sellers in B2B complex selling environments too. If you plan to be in the 20% with the other Sales Rockstars out there, I highly recommend you put learning on the front burner. When you commit to learn, you earn!
So what’s it going to be? Gold medal winner or distant could have been?

Top Sales Awards 2019

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